Last of the virus-free corners
Countries with zero cases prepare for the worst as fears rise
A coronavirus-free tropical island nestled in the northern Pacific may seem like the perfect place to ride out a pandemic, but residents on Palau say life right now is far from idyllic.
The microstate of 18,000 people is among a dwindling number of places on Earth that still report zero cases of Covid-19.
The disparate group also includes Samoa, Turkmenistan, North Korea and bases on the frozen continent of Antarctica.
A dot in the ocean hundreds of kilometres from its nearest neighbours, Palau is surrounded by the vast Pacific, which has acted as a buffer against the virus.
Along with strict travel restrictions, this seems to have kept infections at bay for nations such as Tonga, the Solomons Islands, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia.
But remoteness is not certain to stop the relentless march of the disease. The Northern Mariana Islands confirmed its first cases over the weekend and a suspected death on Monday.
Klamiokl Tulop, a 28-year-old artist and single mum, is hopeful that Palau can avoid the fate of Wuhan, New York or Madrid, but described a growing sense of dread that the virus is coming or could already be on the island undetected.
“You can feel a rising tension and anxiety just shopping,” she said.
There have been several scares, including a potential case that saw one person quarantined this week as authorities await test results.
Inside Australia’s four remote Antarctic research bases, around 90 people have found themselves ensconced on the only virus-free continent as they watch their old home transform beyond recognition.
The bases are now isolated until November so the group is safe, but Antarctic Division Operations manager Robb Clifton said “the main thing that’s on the mind of expeditioners is how their loved ones are doing back home”.
While Palau has no confirmed cases, it is gripped by the society-altering fears and economic paralysis affecting the rest of the world.
Supermarkets in the country’s largest town, Koror, have seen panic buying and there are shortages of hand sanitisers, masks and alcohol.
The islands depend heavily on goods being shipped or flown in, so supplies can quickly run low.
People are practising social distancing. Doctors are waiting for test kits to arrive from Taiwan. The government is building isolation rooms.
“I would like to be optimistic that we won’t get the virus,” Tulop said.
“But Palau would definitely get it. We rely heavily on tourism and most of us need to travel for work.”
Nowhere, it seems, is truly virusfree. — AFP